


Masks

by Rohad



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Whiterose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 08:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11755668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rohad/pseuds/Rohad
Summary: All She wanted to do was protect the innocent and fight bad guys; why did everything else have to be so damn complicated?Superhero AU





	Masks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ODST110](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ODST110/gifts).



The city of Vale.

A glimmering city of beautiful vistas, well known for its sprawling parks and greenery. While not the technological mecca of it’s sister city, Atlas; it’s not without its modern splendors. More than a few highrises dotted the skyline of Vale.

One thing Vale had that Atlas didn’t; and as far as they were concerned Vale could keep, was Cinder.

A villainous woman with the power to summon pitch black monsters with white masks and glowing red eyes known as Grimm. She was far from the only villain to plague Vale, but was indeed the most prolific. The violent faunus gang known as the White Fang and their leader, Adam Taurus certainly tried to give her a run for her money. 

Luckily for Vale, they had something else no one else had. Heroes. 

Glass shattered, drowning out the screaming of panicking people as a pair of Beowolf grimm crashed through the windows of the 23rd floor of Schnee Energy. 

Board members tripped over themselves and each other as they backpedaled away from the looming beasts. 

Chairwoman Weiss Schnee jumped to her feet in surprise, turning to face the approaching beasts, surprise morphing into a sneer.

“Cinder,” She growled under her breath as the lithe woman sauntered into the room, flanked by the Grimm. 

“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Cinder smirked, glowing amber eyes casually looking over the rooms other occupants before stopping at Weiss. “Miss Schnee.” 

“What do you want?” Weiss glared defiantly at the criminal, even as a single bead of sweat rolled down the back of her neck and her muscles tensed. 

Cinder deigned not to answer, instead merely snapped her fingers and one of the beasts lumbered forward, and snatched up the metal case sitting on Weiss’s desk.

“Just needed to pick something up.” Cinder smirked.

Despite common sense telling her not to, the sight of the case in the beast's hands spurred Weiss into movement. 

“No!” She took only a step before the second Beowolf lunged, knocking Weiss to the ground, its weight pressing into her painfully. Bloody soulless eyes boring into her frightened blue ones as it snapped its fang lined jaws in her face. 

“I got what I came for, you should have stood aside.” She held up her hand, ready to snap her fingers and let the Beowolf rip out Weiss’s throat.

Shing

The Beowolf holding the case dropped to the ground, cut neatly in half and already dissipating into black smoke. 

Cinder jumped back, scowling at the red cloaked figure now standing across from her, a large imposing scythe drawn back, grimm ichor still dripping from it’s blade. 

The second grimm abandoned Weiss to lunge at the new hooded figure only to be ducked under and in one spin cut neatly into two chunks of smoking carcass. 

Her view no longer obstructed by the hulking black beast, Weiss of course recognizes the hooded figure from the news and papers, though never before in person. The black jeans and shirt were by far the least notable thing about the new arrival. A hooded cloak the color of fresh blood and a metal wolf mask peeking out from under said hood were the standouts. 

“The Red Wolf,” Weiss muttered. 

Amber eyes glanced down at the case only for a red and black boot to step on it possessively.

“Don’t you ever take a break?” Cinder snarled as she pulled out a pair of short blades and charged.

A swift kick sent the box skittering across the ground and straight into Weiss’s hands.

“Get out of here!” Red Wolf ordered as blades clashed.

Weiss hesitated only a moment before running for the door, the other board members having taken their leave already.

“Damnit!” Cinder cursed turning to give chase only to be forced back as she blocked another strike from the oncoming scythe.

“Not so fast Cinder.” Red growled as she flashed forward, scattering rose petals as she spun around, using the momentum to deliver a powerful slash, flinging Cinder out the 23rd floor window from which she’d come.

Wasting no time she jumped out the window and followed, twisting the massive weapon around in front of her and firing 3 quick shots, each was deflected but had the desired effect of greatly slowing her fall.

She could now see the four black beasts waiting for them on the ground.

Making small jumps off the building to slow herself Cinder kicked off the wall, landing in a roll and running down the street as two of the beasts jumped to meet the hooded hero. 

A boot to one snout propelled her back up enough to swing the blade around and pop a hole into both monsters heads.

The second she touched the asphalt the other two were charging. A quick spin turned both beats to ribbon. 

A quick glance around confirmed that Cinder was gone. 

“Shit.” She mumbled to herself. She could now hear the sirens in the distance getting closer. That was her cue. With a flick of her wrist the scythe folded up and was stowed beneath the cloak. 

Glancing back at the company headquarters she saw the young chairwoman and CEO she’d just saved staring at her intently from inside the lobby, clutching the metal case Cinder had wanted to her chest. 

Those blue eyes stared so intently it made her a little nervous. Unsure she held up her hand and gave a little wave.

Searching blue eyes widened in apparent shock. 

Unsure what else to do with herself she shot off, leaving a shocked CEO and a cloud of rose petals in her wake. 

Running through the back alleys of Vale allowed the hero to shake anyone who might have had any big ideas and let her zip right up the wall to her apartments open window.

“Phew!” Pulling off her mask Ruby Rose let out a breath. What a day. She pulled off her cloak and unclipped Crescent Rose from her belt, securing everything in it’s place before walking out of her room to find her sister, lounging on her couch and watching the tv.

“Yang! What are you doing here?” 

“Nice to see you too.” The blonde quipped with a grin. “Busy day?” She asked nodding to the tv, where a live broadcast was already playing about the incident at Schnee Energy. 

“...thwarted by Vale’s very own Red Wolf.” The anchor recapped the events.

“What is that, the third time this week? Don’t the baddies have day jobs, or do they just sit around a dark room cackling to themselves all day and menacingly petting cats?” Yang wondered, tossing the remote aside. 

“Who knows,” Ruby flopped onto the sofa next to the blonde with a sigh. Yang wrapped a thickly muscled arm around her shoulders and gave what she must have imagined to be a comforting squeeze but was a death grip to the smaller woman. 

“Urgh! Yang, please.” She wheezed. The blonde just grinned but lessened her grip nonetheless. “If you kill me I can’t go on patrol tonight.” She ducked out of the hug to lean back against the sofa cushion. 

“Fine, go, be the hero we need but don’t deserve.” She chuckled to herself.

“I am not Batman.” Ruby grumbled, giving her sister a slight kick without opening her eyes.. 

“Well duh, Batman is made up, you’ve stopped more real criminals than he ever has. Can’t say I don’t wish you were a millionaire philanthropist though.” She said making Ruby giggle.

“You and me both. Saving innocent people is it’s own reward but it’s not the best paying job.” Ruby agreed, pushing herself off the couch and walking into her tiny kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Yang hit the power on the tv and tossed the remote back on the coffee table before following her sister. 

“Still got a while before you gotta go on patrol right?” Yang asked, leaning across the tiny island counter.

Ruby nodded around a mouthful of water.

“Let’s go get burgers, my treat.” She offered, her metal hand scraping on the counter as she pushed herself up.

“I dunno, Yang I…” A cold metal finger was pressed against her lips.

“No arguing, get in my car and let’s go.” Yang ordered, mouth set into a serious line but her lilac eyes showed her obvious amusement.

“Alright.” Ruby agreed with a wide smile. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ruby sat hunched over the edge of one of Vale’s high rises, the wind picked at her cloak, sending the ends fluttering in the breeze.

Everything seemed pretty quiet on the brightly lit street many stories below her, at least, as quiet as it ever really got in a busy city like Vale. The sounds of traffic and night life rose up to her ears, the occasional horn or angry yelling brought on by road rage.

She’d been doing this long enough to discern the difference between angry driver and people being chased by Grimm.

While she was paying attention to the going ons below her mind was drifting to a certain blue eyed CEO. 

She was… really pretty. Ruby blushed beneath her mask.

“You’re awfully quiet for a change.” A voice cut through the relative quiet. Ruby jumped, whipping around to find a tall woman with long ebony hair, wearing tight black clothes and a mask over her glowing golden eyes. A pair black cat ears twitched at the sounds of the city. 

“Nightshade, I hate it when you do that.” She sighed, muscles untensing.

Without a sound the other heroine sat next to her on the roofs edge.

“It’s all been pretty quiet tonight.” Nightshade observed. Ruby nodded at the observation.

Nightshade hummed quietly, observing her usually more exuberant colleague. 

“I heard about Cinder attacking Schnee Energy, everything go alright?” She asked, trying to surmise her friends unusual quietness, it wasn’t easy to read someone when their face was covered by a full mask. 

“She got away, but I stopped her from getting whatever she wanted and hurting anyone so it's, ya know.” She shrugged pausing for a second to consider her next words. “What do you know about Schnee Energy’s CEO?” 

Nightshade’s ears twitched curiously.

“Weiss Schnee, third head of the Schnee Energy Corporation, her father was well documented for his morally contemptible business practices and controversial labor forces in the form of what nearly constituted enslaved faunus workers.” She recited. Behind her mask Ruby blinked owlishly at the information.

“Things have improved exponentially under Weiss, not just in her own business but with her influence, across the industry as a whole.” She finished, looking at Ruby.

“Um, that’s all good to know, but I guess I was looking for something a little more, personal? Like, is she nice?” It sounded kind of dumb after it had left her mouth, though Nightshade chuckled quietly.

“Public opinion says she’s rather...standoffish but never unfair or excessively rude. I’ve heard she can be quite kind in the right situation. Why the sudden interest, did you run into her at the company today?” 

“Yeah, for a second. She was… watching me.” 

“I don’t know if you noticed, Red, but a lot of people watch you.” She chuckled. Ruby huffed beneath her mask.

“Yeah, I know, this was different…” She mumbled. “It was, intense? I dunno, it's not important.” She hopped up and stretched. Golden eyes watched her intently. “Welp, doesn’t seem anything is going on tonight, so I’m gonna go get some sleep. See ya later, Night.” 

“Be safe.” Were the dark woman’s parting words before her crimson counterpart disappeared over the side of the building. 

Once she was sure she was well and truly alone she pulled her phone from the pouch at her hip and scrolled through her contacts before hitting call, despite her phone's clock telling her it was half past eleven.

“I’m working, what is it, Blake?” The voice on the other end answered without so much as a hello. 

“Good evening to you as well, Weiss. I was just checking up on you, I heard about the attack.” She explained. An annoyed grunt followed the statement.

“You and everyone else. I’ve been fielding calls from reporters and news stations all day, and worst yet, my father.” She grumbled. 

“I’m sure that was fun…” 

“Be glad it was your day off.”

“On a lighter note, what did you think of The Red Wolf?” Blake asked casually.

The Businesswoman was oddly quiet, if not for the quiet breathing coming from her speaker Blake would have thought she’d hung up.

“She was interesting.” Weiss finally answered, to which Blake couldn’t help but smirk, Weiss displaying anything other than indifference or hate toward someone? Unheard of, with a handful of exceptions of course.

“She ran off so fast I didn’t even have a chance to thank her for her help.” The CEO grouched to herself but Blake heard the low mumbling. She hummed thoughtfully and smiled to herself. 

“I have an idea.” 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite baby sister.” Yang grinned from behind the bar as Ruby walked into the pub.

“I’m your only sister.” she reminded, rolling her eyes and throwing herself up onto an empty barstool and setting her mail bag at her feet.

“You finished your route for the day already?” Yang cocked a brow. “You didn’t put any extra...oomph in it did you?” The blonde asked accusingly, she’d always worried about Ruby using her powers and getting exposed to the world.

“Of course I did. I risked my whole life just to deliver mail.” She stuck her tongue out just for Yang to flick her forehead before filling a pint glass with strawberry ale and sliding it to her sister. 

“Speaking of...” Yang started turning to the big screen over the bar. “The CEO of Schnee Energy had a press conference this morning about what happened yesterday and some big banquet they’re throwing, I recorded it for you” 

“Okay?” Ruby blinked, taking a sip of her drink.

“Listen to this.” Yang hit play on a paused recording.

“...In light of this, Schnee energy would like to extend an invitation to Friday night's gala to the Red Wolf…” Weiss spoke into the microphone. 

Ruby sprayed the bar top with ale while Yang grinned from ear to ear.

“What!?” She looked around wildly, whispering when she turned back to Yang. “I don’t want to attend some fancy party!” She hissed. 

“I don’t think you have much choice, to not show up would make you and Schnee Energy look bad, and I get the feeling they're not people you want to be on the bad side of.” Yang wiped the spray off the bar with a frown, she’d just cleaned that.

“What would I even do? What would I wear? A fancy dress and my mask?” She hissed. Yang shrugged but was grinning wildly, clearly enjoying her sisters new problem.

“But… but… I’ll just make a fool of myself at that thing.” Ruby moaned, dropping her head to the counter. 

“ Come on Rubes, it won't be all that bad, it might actually be fun.” Yang ruffled the other woman's hair encouragingly.

“Oh yeah. Me, stuck in a room full of the richest people in all of Vale, how could that not go wrong?” 

“Probably Atlas too, since that’s where the Schnee’s are from.” Yang supplied helpfully. 

“Ughhh,” Ruby's head dropped back to the wood with a quiet thump. “Why me? All I do is serve and protect this city from monsters and evil doers, I don’t deserve this, why am I being punished?!” She whined. 

Yang rolled her eyes at her sister's groaning. Trust Ruby to view an invitation to the most exclusive party in all of Vale as some form of divine punishment. 

“Don’t worry, Rubes. After work I’ll go with ya and we’ll find you something to wear.” The blonde promised.

Ruby groaned pitifully but turned her silver eyes up to look at Yang.

“Thanks, Yang.” Her small smile spoke volumes to the bartender. 

“What are big sisters for?” She grinned.

After Yang’s shift ended Ruby found herself lost in a sea of dress racks, but only before being shoved into a dressing room with dress after dress. 

A few she outright refused, there neckline dropping somewhere around her navel. 

“I can’t wear this Yang!” Ruby’s muffled cry came through the door.

“It’s cute!’ The blonde bartender defended her choice.

“It has no back!” Ruby yelled.

“It does... just, not much, besides, you're going to be wearing your you know what. No one will even see the back.” 

Ruby was strangely quiet. Yang had a point, she was going to be wearing her cloak and mask, so no one one would even see her back. Unless she wanted them to, and she definitely did not. 

She silently slipped on the dress before stepping out of the dressing room for her sister's opinion. 

“Well?” Ruby held her arms out, letting her sister inspect her.

“Hmm,” Yang hummed thoughtfully. 

The dress was black and stopped just above Ruby’s knees. Just as she said the back, or lack thereof was very low, stopping just below her waistline, the neckline not nearly as deep as the other dresses, though still a little deeper than anything Ruby was used to wearing and sheer black lace covered her arms from shoulder to wrist.

The lack of back covering revealed her usually hidden tattoo on her right shoulder of a circle of roses around the silhouette of a wolf head. 

Yang let out a low whistle.

“Not bad, sis, not bad at all. Paired with the red ‘you know what’ and everyone will be looking at you.” She nodded to herself, pleased with her ability to pick dresses.

“Yang, I could wear a paper sack and people would still stare at me.” Ruby reminded.

“True, but now they're not going to just be looking at you because of that. There going to look at you and think, ‘Man, the Red Wolf has a poppin’ body!’ ” Yang whispered the last part making her sister's face go hot.

“Shut up!” She shoved the cackling woman away. “I don’t want people thinking… that!” She rumbled. 

“Not even one person?” Yang wheedled, nudging her sister in the shoulder. 

“Maybe, one person… someday.” She allowed, looking down at her socked feet. Yang wrapped her arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. 

“Hey, before you know it you'll meet someone who can see how awesome you are, and not just for the mask, but for who you are behind it, trust me.” 

“I know, I know...” She grumbled, disappearing back into the dressing room. 

“So, all we need now is some shoes.” Yang chuckled to herself when her sisters groan hit her ears through the dressing room door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Ruby inspected herself in the mirror dressed in all but her mask. The red and black was part of her signature; well, along with the wolf mask of course. She actually looked pretty good if she said so herself.

The only thing she had added to the dress was a piece of thick black fabric, tied around her waist to hold Crescent Rose in it’s place on her back. It was the same shade as the dress so it blended in almost unnoticeable.

She never went anywhere in the mask without her baby. She attracted to much attention.

The party was supposed to start at 8. She glanced at her alarm clock. 8:45; that should be fashionably late enough.

 

“Well, I guess i’m ready.” She took a deep, steadying breath before turning off her bedroom light and tieing her mask into place before silently slipping out her bedroom window to the empty alley below. 

In a burst of speed she ran through the twisting back alleys until she deemed it a safe enough distance from her apartment to take a running leap onto the nearest building’s roof. 

A quick survey of the busy city told her everything was running as it should before she took off, running and leaping from one rooftop to the next, crossing the city in bounds. 

She lived in a pretty decent part of Vale, but the Schnee Energy banquet was being held in a very fancy hotel on the other side of town that Ruby had only ever driven past before.

The Diamond Ballroom was used as a venue for things like out of town dignitaries or parties thrown by the governor

Great, she was making herself nervous again. She really didn’t want to do this. Ruby didn’t get much out of her caped crusades other than a feeling of accomplishment and knowing that she did all she could to help those in need.

She at least got respect, people liked her, in all modesty, admired her a bit, even as others thought her a fool.

As the saying goes, it was better to let them assume you’re a fool than open your mouth and prove it.

She had the overwhelming fear that she attending this party was going to lead to her proving it. Not a person there wouldn’t be able to tell she was out of her element. 

She sighed, dropping onto the roof of a building and walking to its edge. Across the street from the building she stood on, spotlights lighting up the exterior, was the Diamond Ballroom.

“Alright. You can do this!” She nodded to herself and dropped off the roof, her shoes landing with a quiet smack on the pavement below.

She zipped across the street to the entrance of the diamond ballroom, standing outside the doors she straightened her cloak and gave herself a nod.

“Alright Ruby, show ‘em what you got.” She pushed open the doors and walked into the lobby. More than a few people were walking around the lobby and nearly all of them turned to gape at her when she walked into the room.

“Starting out great.” She mumbled to herself. 

“Ma'am?”

She turned to her left to find the doorman staring at her wide eyed.

“The Schnee Energy banquet is on the top floor.” He pointed toward the elevators.

“Thanks” She nodded, starting in that direction. Everyone stopped to gawk as she passed. Never in her whole life had she been as thankful for the cloak and mask as she was right now. It was all that stood between her and all the prying eyes and though it wasn't much, it was something.

She stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the 20th floor and then nearly broke the close doors button as she rapidly slammed her finger into it, desperate to get it moving before someone decided an elevator would be the best place to corner her for a moment alone.

Thankfully no one seemed brave enough and the doors dinged before sliding closed and leaving her alone, if only for a moment. 

With rising anxiety she watched the number of floors grow steadily higher from behind her mask. 

She was being ridiculous, she knew that of course, not that it helped, the prevailing thought that she wouldn’t have to stay very long did though. Go in...mingle? Talk to Weiss, leave.

The second part of that plan did give her pause.

That was why she was here, the CEO had invited her, for whatever reasons Ruby could only guess at, but she’d know before the night was over. 

Maybe she needed help? Cinder was after something at the company building and she didn’t stop till she got what she wanted.

The quiet ding of the elevator startled her out of her thoughts. The doors slid open to a large open ballroom filled with the most elegantly dressed people she’d ever seen.

“Oh boy.” She breathed.

Across the room, dressed in an elegant off white A-line dress with blue detailing that hung just below her knees, Schnee Energy’s CEO was caught in a long and dry conversation with one of her family’s business associates. 

“The budget is coming along but it may be a while yet before the board can come to a consensus about anything.” The older man standing across from Weiss shook his head in exasperation.

She nodded, only half paying attention to the man in front of her. This banquet was for charity, a chance for the elite of Vale and some of the other large cities, to raise funds for the city's impoverished; though honestly those attending used the chance to further their own agendas. 

Not that she could claim innocence to that, having used the opportunity, at her best friend's behest; to meet and thank the Red Wolf in person for saving her and a very important asset to her company.

However, less than an hour into the evening and her patience was wearing dangerously thin.

Everyone and there mother had approached Weiss, making propositions to her for all number of things, partnerships to collaborations to subtly asking her to fund their projects. 

It was grating and the Wolf had yet to show. 

Weiss spotted Blake's bow topped head making her way over and excused herself, meeting her friend halfway.

Blake knew right away by the tightness of her jaw and the slight jump in her cheek that Weiss was nearing capacity.

“How’s it going?” She asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice for her friends sake. 

“Splendid” 

The deadpan expression did make Blake smirk, which only made Weiss’s frown deepen.

A flash of red over Weiss’s shoulder caught Blake's gaze and made her smile.

“Well, it seems like one thing at the very least will go your way tonight.” She nodded toward the front of the room. 

Weiss turned to look and was greatly pleased to see Vales favorite cloaked hero wandering into the ballroom.

Gone were the ragged black jeans, faded t-shirt and combat boots to be replaced with a modest black dress revealing the Red Wolf truly was the woman her voice implied. 

She was still wearing the red cloak and mask, but Weiss had expected nothing less. 

Weiss took one step before Blake’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. Weiss blinked, looking at the other woman expectantly.

“Not to tell you how to conduct yourself, Weiss, but maybe when you go over there you should…” Blake hesitated.

“Should what?” Weiss frowned.

“Reel it back a little?” She suggested. 

Predictably the CEO looked more than a little affronted. Blake held up a hand for her to stop before she even got going.

“You’re going to scare her.” She explained

“She’s a superhero.” Weiss argued.

“She’s a person.” Blake retorted, nodding to the hero on the other side of the room. “Look”

Across the room the Wolf had snagged a glass of champagne and held it in both her her hands, shoulders slightly hunched as people began to crowd around her, oblivious to her discomfort. 

“She’s completely out of her element. That body language says she’s scared; or rather, very nervous” Blake explained. 

Weiss watched the cloaked hero carefully, she spoke to the guests squeezing in close to her but not once did her bunched up shoulders relax and she clenched the glass in her hand like a lifeline. 

Weiss cursed to herself under her breath, icy gaze turning back to Blake. 

“Your ability to read body language so thoroughly is freakish, you know that?” The CEO huffed. 

“It’s served you quite well in the past.” The faunus reminded. Weiss hummed in acknowledgment before straightening her shoulders and walked across the room to her special guest. The steely look in her eyes stalled any who would have stopped her to talk.

“Excuse me, ladies, gentleman; but I must speak to our special guest in private.” Weiss politely bullied her way through the throng of people that had gathered around the Red Wolf.

Ruby was so busy trying to field questions that she didn’t notice the young CEO pushing her way through the crowd until she was leading her away by the elbow. She blinked owlishly behind her mask as Weiss tugged her along past the gawking people and toward the open balcony doors.

Blake, watching from across the room slapped her palm across her eyes, her ears trying to flatten inside her bow.

‘Ugh, Weiss.’ She groaned. ‘What part of that is at all reeled back?’ The dark hero thought to herself.

“If you don’t assert yourself they’ll walk all over you.” Weiss informed her as they stepped out into the relative privacy of the balcony, the breeze picked up her hair and made Ruby’s cloak flutter.

“Thank you, Miss Schnee.” Ruby managed, trying to remember her manners in front of her host. Weiss sniffed in reply.

“Weiss will be fine and the irony is that I invited you here so that I could thank you.” Weiss said, looking into a pair of silver colored eyes through the eyes of the wolf mask. How unusual. 

“The case that Cinder tried to take was more important than you could imagine and I feel indebted to you for saving it, along with my life of course and a Schnee never leaves their debts unpaid.” Weiss held her hands behind her back.

Ruby listened, dumbfounded.

“That being said, you can ask me for anything you like as repayment for what you did.” Weiss finished her definitely not practiced speech and waited for a response.

“Oh” was all Ruby finally managed to say after a beat of silence. “Well, thank you, Weiss, but it’s not necessary.” She said to the now slightly confused looking businesswoman.

“Perhaps I was to indirect..” Weiss cleared her throat. “I would like to offer you a monetary reward…” 

A quiet giggle gave Weiss pause.

“No, I understood, I don’t need anything from you, Weiss. I appreciate the thought, really.” She tried to be gracious in her decline, something that only made Weiss all the more confused by the masked woman.

“Helping people has always been reward enough for me, I’m just glad I was able to help you.” Ruby smiled behind her mask. 

Weiss was quiet, suddenly struck by the humility of the masked stranger in front of her. All anyone wanted from the CEO was money, or the path to money, here she was offering it, only to be turned down? 

This was new. 

“If you don’t mind me asking though, what was in the case Cinder wanted?” Ruby had wondered what could be so important that Cinder would go after it in broad daylight.

Weiss straightened up, coming back to herself.

“That is classified Schnee Energy information.” She recited, but paused. “Why?”

“I just figured if I knew what it was Cinder wanted I could figure out why she wanted it.” Ruby shrugged. “But I understand.” She finished quickly holding up her hands.

“You realize…” Weiss started slowly, stepping closer to the hero. “If I tell you, it must absolutely be kept a secret.” 

Ruby couldn’t stop the laugh that pushed past her lips, had she not been so close, she would have missed the way the CEO’s cheeks darkened. 

“Sorry, I’m sorry.” She said, laughter dying into a chuckle and finally a grin. “I think I can keep a secret.” She whispered. 

Weiss’s cheeks were on fire and she could practically hear the grin in the other woman’s voice. 

“The case…” She began, voice low. “Contains a new form of propellant we’ve developed. Liquid dust.” Weiss said.

“Liquid dust?” Ruby repeated, mind already kicking into high gear. “Liquid dust could revolutionize the industry, it could be used in machines and devices that even powdered dust is to coarse for.” She quickly realized. 

Weiss looked impressed by the quick deduction. 

Maybe Ruby wasn’t a ‘batman’ level detective, but she was a certified mechanical genius.

“It will, when we finish working out the kinks. My development team and I have spent hundreds of hours working on it, though there seem to be many more to go before it’s ready.” Weiss frowned.

“You helped create it yourself?” Ruby’s eyes were wide in surprise beneath the mask.

“Indeed I did. I went to school for chemistry as well as business.” She smiled proudly. 

“Wow, you must be super smart.” Ruby was in such awe she didn’t notice the CEO getting flustered. 

“Why isn’t it out yet?” She questioned.

“It’s still experimental and incredibly volatile, we can’t yet, in good conscious release it, even for industrial purposes.” Weiss frowned. 

“But why would Cinder want liquid dust?” Ruby scratched her chin beneath her mask, now thinking aloud to herself. “As far as I’ve gathered all she’s ever wanted to do is destroy everything, and as far as explosive things goes, there’s stuff way easier to get than experimental liquid dust.” She mumbled.

“It would be worth a fortune on the black market.” Weiss suggested.

Ruby hummed. Cinder had never seemed all that interested in money, but she was an opportunist, it was always possible. 

“I’ll have to think about it...well, anyway, thanks Weiss, for inviting me.” Ruby turned fully toward her host.

“You’re leaving?” Her question was answered with a nod, hopping up onto the balcony railing, an impressive feat in heels, the wind picking at her famous red cloak.

“I...I really don’t wanna go back in there.” She nodded back to the party with a nervous chuckle and Weiss couldn’t say she blamed her. 

“I still owe you a debt.” Weiss reminded before she could leap off into the night.

“You don’t...”

“I do!” Weiss insisted, cutting her off. “A Schnee never leaves their debts unpaid.”

“Oh, well...maybe next time I’m in the area you could buy me lunch or something?” The words were flying out of her mouth before she stopped to think about them.

Weiss seemed just as surprised as Ruby felt by the words for a moment before she was again the picture of poised and collected. 

“I hope to see you soon then.” She said simply. 

Ruby gave a nod, unsure what else to say before jumping off the railing, but not before a hard breeze sent her cloak billowing to the side, giving Weiss an eye full of her tanned, bare back. 

Unblemished, save for the black and red tattoo of a wolf head in a ring of roses on her right shoulder.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was two weeks before Ruby was near the Schnee Energy Company, on a patrol around noon, after she’d asked Nightshade to find out when Weiss ate lunch.

The other hero seemed oddly amused by the request but had complied, after Ruby had agreed to a favor to be named later. That worried her a little, but not enough that she hadn’t readily agreed.

She really wanted to see Weiss. 

The wealthy businesswoman seemed so smart and savvy. 

She was more than a little pretty, too, with her long white hair and crystal clear blue eyes. The mysterious little scar over her left eye made Ruby curious.

The thoughts sent butterflies through her stomach.

Now here she was, running at max speed through the lobby of Schnee energy so that no one would see her as she sped up the stairs to the 30th floor, Weiss’s office.

Now standing in front of the large wooden doors she swallowed and steeled her nerves as she knocked. 

The door was opened by a dark haired woman with a bow in her hair. 

Her wide amber eyes blinked as she stared back at Ruby. 

“Weiss, it’s for you.” She stepped aside, revealing Weiss, sitting hunched over her desk. 

She glanced up only to jump out of her chair when she realized who was standing in her door.

“Red Wolf…” She greeted.

“Hey, and uh, just ‘Red’ is fine.” She said.

“Red, this my friend and assistant, Blake Belladonna.” Weiss introduced. 

Ruby offered a hand, which Blake shook.

Something about the tall dark haired woman seemed so familiar to Ruby, but she couldn’t place it. 

“Can we help you with something?” Blake asked curiously, fully understanding and ignoring Red’s quizzical stare. 

“She’s here to have lunch with me.” Weiss stated as though commenting on the weather. 

Blake’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. That was not what she had expected when Red had asked her about Weiss’s lunch schedule

“Ahh…” Was all Blake could manage.

“Is there anything in particular you want?” Weiss asked.

“Oh um… I like chinese?” it came out more of a question than a statement.

Blake chuckled, glancing at Weiss knowingly.

“Weiss should be well prepared than.” The assistant smirked as Weiss scowled in turn. Ruby just glanced between the two, confused until Weiss pulled a chinese take out menu from her desk drawer, obviously a frequent orderer. 

“You may take your lunch, Blake.” Weiss nearly hissed, much to Blake’s amusement. She nodded and made her exit.

“You have your own balcony up here?” Ruby asked, wondering over to the glass door, blended into the windows around it. 

“I work outside when the weather permits. Would you like to have lunch on the balcony?” 

“Sure!” Ruby walked out the door and plopped herself onto one of the two chairs around the small metal table.

Weiss followed behind with the menu she’d pulled from her desk and set it on the table in front of her.

Ruby picked up the yellow and orange colored menu.

“The Sunny Dragon!” Ruby nearly yelped. 

Of all the food places in Vale, Weiss was a fan of her dad's restaurant? It really was a small world after all. 

“Do you know it?” Weiss asked, looking up from some papers she’d brought outside with her.

Again, glad for her mask, Ruby nodded.

“Ah, yeah, I go there often, actually.” Not a lie. She and Yang went to the restaurant all the time, though usually to help him out rather than eat. His food was great though. 

Ruby already knew what she was going to order but made a small production of flipping through the menu anyway. 

“Decided? Weiss asked. 

“Yeah”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

‘Oh, sweet Lo Mein’ Ruby thought giddily as she opened the take out box.

Mindful of Weiss, she pulled her hood down to help cover her face as she pushed her mask up to her nose, just enough to see what she was eating, as well as eat it, without exposing herself.

Weiss couldn’t help but watch as Red pulled up her mask but all that was exposed was her mouth.

They ate in relative silence save for Ruby’s delighted hums. It was endearing, in a way. 

This was rather surreal to Weiss. 

Just three weeks prior she had only heard of the Red Wolf on the news or in the papers, now she was sitting across from her eating chinese take out. 

“You know..” Red started, startling Weiss out of her thoughts. “The more I think about it, the more ideas I come up with for practical uses for your liquid dust.” She said.

“Oh?” Weiss cocked a brow, an amused smile on her lips. With the mask pushed up over her eyes Red couldn’t see it and nodded.

The smile on Weiss’s lips faded into a thoughtful expression as Red listed off some of the ideas and thoughts she’d had over the last two weeks. 

Some she’d thought of herself but some of the Heroine’s ideas Weiss hadn’t even considered till now and her mind was already racing with ideas on how to implement them once they’d fixed their problems with the dust.

Before she knew it she was lost in deep conversation about the mechanical application of dust with Red. 

She didn’t seem too know too much about the alchemic side of things but her knowledge of the mechanical more than made up for it.

Before anyone knew it, two hours had sped by. 

“But the liquid ice dust could double as a coolant to keep it from overheating!” Red argued. 

Before Weiss could say anything her office door opened and Blake stepped inside.

She was surprised to see Red still sitting across from Weiss on the balcony.

“I hate to interrupt, Weiss, but you have a meeting in fifteen minutes.” Blake reminded stepping outside. 

“My meeting isn’t until three.” Weiss corrected, to which Blake merely cocked a brow, prompting Weiss to look at her watch and sure enough it was a quarter till. 

“Ah, yes, thank you, Blake.” She cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry” Red jumped up. “I didn’t mean to keep you so long.” She apologized. She always got carried away when talking about mechanics, especially with someone like Weiss, who actually knew what they were talking about instead of nodding along while she blathered. 

“Don’t be.” Weiss reassured her, standing up and walking around her desk. “Your ideas could help the revolution of dust, it’s given me a lot to think about for the application of the dust once we’ve worked everything out.” 

“I’m sure you woulda’ figured it out yourself.” Ruby felt the heat from her cheeks in the mask at the compliment.

Again Weiss was struck by the woman’s modest nature. 

“I should go. Thanks for lunch, Weiss.” Without another word she flung herself over the railing. 

Blake and Weiss watched as she zipped across the buildings before disappearing. 

Weiss turned to find her friend watching her with an amused smirk.

“What?” She scowled.

“Nothing.” Blake chuckled, walking back inside.

Ruby quickly made her way home to change out of her disguise and walked the three blocks to Yang’s bar.

“Hey sis. Usual?” Yang asked even as she was already popping the cap of the strawberry ale.

“Thanks, Yang.”

“What’s got you grinning?’ Yang asked, as Ruby quietly sipped on her drink at the end of the bar, a smile never leaving her lips.

“I had lunch with Weiss today.” She told the blonde quietly. 

“Really? I remember you telling me about how you practically asked her out…” 

“I did not!” 

“But I didn’t think you’d ever actually go back.” Yang continued as though Ruby hadn’t said a thing. 

“She wanted to repay me, it would have been rude not to.” Ruby grumbled, staring down at her drink. Yang could see her pink face.

“Oh!” Yang realized, voice filled with awe.

“What?” Ruby asked warily, seeing the delight on Yang’s face.

“Bless your gay little heart.” She drawled in her version of a thick southern accent. “You like her.” 

“I do not! I mean, I do, but not like that.” the pink turned dark red. Even she knew how unconvincing that sounded. 

“Wow, sis. No wonder you haven’t dated in so long, you have some rich and lofty standards.” The blonde was grinning from ear to ear.

“I’m leaving.” Ruby hopped off her stool.

“Aww, come on!” Yang ran around the bar to catch up to her pouting sister.

“No, leave me alone!” Ruby ran through the bar with Yang right behind her, arms outstretched for a bear hug.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Faster, Neo!” 

“He’s getting away!’ Nightshade yelled over the sound of traffic as they chased down the speeding white cadillac with a back seat full of cash.

The flickering overhead streetlights kept Torchwick’s car in view

“No he’s not!” Ruby called back, firing up her powers and flying across the roofs of the cars between them and Roman Torchwick’s getaway car. 

A flick of her wrist unfurled her scythe and with a jump she embedded it’s blade deep in the the metal of the trunk, making the car swerve wildly. 

“You never give up do ya, Red.” Roman growled, turning around in the passenger seat to take aim at the masked heroine. 

A shot rang out.

“Damn it!” Roman yelled as the gun flew from his hand. 

From the roof of a truck three cars back golden glowing eyes were staring down the barrel of a gun.

Nightshades ability to see in the dark had just saved her hide. 

Without missing a beat Ruby spun around, delivering a swift kick to Roman’s head. He fell back in the seat, out cold.

Up ahead flashing lights signaled where the police had set up their barrier. 

Spinning the scythe around and pointing the barrel at Neo, Ruby gave her a silent choice. With a silent sigh and a frown the brown and pink haired woman gave a nod. 

The car slowed to a stop just ahead of the barrier.

Once the police had collected both criminals and the money both Nightshade and herself vanished into the dark. 

“Phew!” Ruby breathed as they found a quiet spot atop an office building. “That was a really good shot, thanks.” She turned to her dark colleague.

“Don’t mention it. Seems like that’s all the excitement for tonight.” She said surveying the city below. 

“Yeah it’s...quiet..” She trailed off.

Looking over at Red she saw the woman looking at the Schnee energy building two blocks over.

All the windows were dark save for a single light on the 30th floor.

“Damn it Weiss. I told you to go home hours ago.” Blake thought to herself with a frown, knowing her friend was burning the midnight oil. 

It had been a few days since she’d had lunch with Weiss and she was looking for an excuse to see the CEO again. 

This seemed like an ideal opportunity. Pop in to check on her. 

Keeping people safe and all that. She groaned internally at her own sad excuse.

“Good work tonight, Nightshade, I should get going though. See ya around.” She dropped off the building and out of sight. At least, most people’s sight.

Blake smirked to herself as she slid behind an AC unit out of sight. After a minute She watched Red slip onto Weiss’s balcony.

Weiss sighed, rubbing her eyes. Just a few more papers and she could call it quits. 

A knock on the glass made her nearly jump out of her skin. 

Whipping toward the noise she let out a breath of relief seeing the Red Wolf standing on her balcony and waving. 

Collecting herself she walked over and opened the door, allowing Red to step inside. 

“Hey, Weiss...I hope I didn’t scare you…” 

“No...it’s fine. Can I help you with something? 

“Oh, uh, no, I was nearby stopping a robbery with Nightshade and saw the light on, so I thought I’d… check on you?” She finished lamely. 

“Checking on me?” Weiss was staring back at her almost amused as she sat back at her desk.

“Yea...well, it’s 9:30 on a Thursday night, kinda late to be working still.” She reasoned.

“I could say the same thing to you.” Weiss countered. 

“Crime never sleeps, Weiss.” Ruby smiled behind her mask.

Weiss knew she was smiling by the lilt in her voice.

“Neither do investors.” she motioned to the papers stacked on her desk. Ruby chuckled as she took a seat in front of Weiss’s desk.

“You probably should, though.” Ruby said, smiling beneath her mask as they fell into playful banter.

“Don’t you have a day job as well?” Weiss questioned, cocking a brow. The tilt of her lips told Ruby she was only playing rather than digging for personal information.

“Well of course. I’m a newspaper reporter and I wear glasses so people don’t recognize me.” She grinned behind her mask 

Weiss blinked slowly, seeming to be thinking before she scowled.

“That’s Superman, you dolt.”

“I know.” Ruby laughed. 

They fell into a comfortable silence before Weiss’s stomach grumbled loudly. Ruby looked at the embarrassed CEO.

“Have you been here all day?” She asked. 

Weiss grumbled in what Ruby could only guess was an affirmative. 

“Do you like pizza?” She asked suddenly. Weiss wasn’t sure where the question had come from but nodded.

“Yes, why?”

Ruby stood up and held her hand out to Weiss. 

“Come with me.” Was all she said.

Weiss hesitated a moment before taking the offered hand.

She was pulled up from her chair and led back to the balcony. 

“Hold onto me and don’t scream.” Red said to her, before wrapping an arm around Weiss’s back and behind her knees, scooping her up and hopping up onto the banister. 

“What!?” she started to wiggle but the grip on her back tightened. She looked up to find the silver eyes behind the mask starring into her own.

“Trust me, Weiss.” 

Weiss swallowed thickly, giving a shallow nod and wrapping her arms around the heroine’s neck. 

“Here we go!” Red leapt off the edge and Weiss clenched her eyes shut as they plummeted from the 30th floor, the air rushing past them.

Suddenly they slowed and tentatively Weiss opened her eyes to find them zipping across the rooftops at high speed.

Red would take five or so long strides and then launch to the next roof. The city whizzed by them in an almost undecipherable blur. 

Weiss had almost become used to it when they abandoned the rooftops and stopped, dropping into an alley where Red let her down.

“What are we doing?” Weiss turned to Red who nodded toward the street. Weiss followed her out of the alley.

Parked in the road beneath a streetlight was a food truck with with big green lettering.

‘Polendina and Daughter pizza.’ 

They walked around to the front where the flap of the truck was open and a red headed teenager was working the register. She saw Red and smiled brightly.

“Red, my friend!” 

“Hi Penny, where’s your dad?” Ruby smiled behind her mask at the ginger haired girl she’d saved last year from being hit by a car.

“He’s not feeling well tonight, I’m working by myself.” She said proudly. “Can I get you and your friend something?” 

“I’ll have my usual. Weiss?” She turned to her companion who was gazing at the menu. 

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Weiss said.

“Two double cheese pepperoni coming right up.” Penny said before going to work.

Glancing around the area Weiss decided they were still in the nicer area of the city, not that she was too worried. She was in the safest place she could be; standing right next to the Red Wolf. 

Speaking of, she was standing next to Weiss humming quietly to herself as they waited, content with the silence. 

“Order up!” Penny called, holding out two paper plates with pizza. They took them with thanks.

Ruby started to reach for her wallet when Penny held up a hand.

“You know your money's no good here, Red.” 

“At least let me pay for hers.” She practically begged.

“No can do. Dad would never allow it.” Penny said, smiling. “I need to close up now, good night you two.” She said before closing the metal flap of the tuck.

“Night Penny.”

Weiss followed as they walked back around the truck and tucked into the alley where Red could pull up her mask enough to eat.

Weiss looked at the oozing pizza skeptically before taking a bite.

It was the best pizza she’d ever had.

She looked up to find Red devouring her piece. Weiss followed suit, though with slightly more manners, digging in as they sat on the cement in silence. 

Once all they had left were the paper plates Ruby turned to Weiss, to find those blue eyes already focussed on her.

“Can I ask you a personal question, Weiss?” She finally said.

Weiss looked a little wary at that but nodded.

“I suppose.”

“How did you get the scar?” Ruby asked

Whatever Weiss had been expecting that had not been it. 

“A fencing accident when I was a teenager. I insisted on practicing without my helmet and my sister got me.” Weiss explained, running a finger gently over the old smooth scar. 

She hated the thing. 

“Oh, ya know though, I think it makes you look tough and mysterious.” She grinned and with her mask still pushed up Weiss could see the toothy grin and her heart thumped hard in her chest. 

“I’ve... never thought about it that way.” She said quietly.

“So you have a sister? Older or younger?” She questioned.

“Older” She said and Red smiled. 

“I have an older sister too.” She said. “She’s the one who always took care of me as a kid.” The fondness for this older sister was obvious in Red’s tone.

“You’re parents didn’t take care of you?” Weiss asked, brows furrowed between her eyes. 

“My mom died when I was young...and I mean, dad took care of us but for a time after she died he….kinda...shut down for a little while.” She shrugged.

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t be, it was a long time ago.” She assured. They sat there quietly for a while, taking in the quiet sounds of the city.

“You asked me a question, now let me ask you one” Weiss practically demanded.

“Oh...uhh, okay..” She agreed hesitantly. 

Weiss thought for a second, she couldn’t ask really personal questions though there was something she wanted to know before she became...to invested. 

“How old are you?” 

“Oh, that's all?” Red giggled. “24” 

‘Two years younger than me.’ Weiss thought to herself.

“My turn.” Ruby grinned to herself. Turning a single exchange into a game of twenty questions.

“What’s your favorite food?” 

“Kung pao chicken, you?”

“Hmm, I’m torn between cookies and mooncake…” She hummed.

“What is a mooncake?” Weiss asked.

Red turned to her with a gasp. 

“You’ve never had a mooncake?!” Ruby couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“It’s a chinese dessert made for the Mid-autumn festival. They’re round cakes about two inches tall and they can be sweet or savory, I prefer the sweet. My dad makes the best cantonese-style mooncakes.” Ruby was drooling. She was so glad the mid-autumn was only a couple weeks away.

“So you’re Chinese?” Weiss asked.

“Eh, sorta? My dad’s half, I'm just a quarter, I’m pretty...white.” Ruby shrugged. “I look like my mom.” 

Off in the distance the clock on the Vale 1st bank began to chime.

Eleven chimes. It was Eleven PM.

“It’s getting pretty late, you want me to take you home?” She pulled down her mask and looked to Weiss.

She could get a cab and as much as her common sense told her she should, that was the last thing Weiss wanted. 

“If you don’t mind.” 

She allowed Red to pick her back up and gave her directions before the hero took off across the city.

It was only a few minutes before Red was jumping the fence that surrounded Weiss’s estate, stopping at the CEO’s front door and letting her down.

“Thank you, Red. For the pizza and bringing me home.”

“Don’t mention it, I enjoyed your company.” She said, the mask hiding her red cheeks. “Well, goodnight, Weiss.” 

Before she could say anything Red was gone, rose petals floating in her wake. 

Weiss reached out and caught one between her fingers. 

It was red and soft as any other rose petal she’d ever held. She closed it in her fist before going inside.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“You seem awfully chipper today.” Blake couldn’t help but notice the extra something lifting her friends mood today.

Friday’s were usually everyone's favorite day in the office, with Weiss usually being the exception since she insisted on working at home even on the weekend; so to walk in and find her humming of all things was almost freaky. 

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Weiss asked. “Stocks are up and the tests on the liquid dust are coming along nicely.” 

“Mhmm..” Blake hummed, turning away from Weiss to put some papers in the filing cabinet. 

“Do you know something I don’t?” The annoyed tone was more than clear to her longtime friend.

‘Always’ Blake smiled to herself. “No, Weiss. I was just asking.” She appeased, walking up to Weiss’s desk and glanced over the papers. Her ears twitched beneath her bow. 

“Weren’t these the papers you were working on yesterday?” She asked, knowing full well that they were. 

Weiss never stopped writing but Blake could see the slight tense of her muscles.

“Yes, I decided that they could wait until today to finish.” 

It took everything Blake had not to roll her eyes, knowing for a fact Weiss had stayed here working till the Red Wolf had whisked her away somewhere. 

Where, Blake didn’t know, deciding to give them their privacy, she’d gone home after seeing Red leave the office with Weiss in her arms. 

“Good, you need to rest more.” 

Predictably The CEO hunched further over her work, guilty.

Blake was having entirely too much fun with this. She should stop.

“I’m glad you didn’t get carried away.” 

Should, but wouldn’t 

Despite Blake's subtle jabs through the day Weiss kept her rather sunny disposition. Well, sunny for Weiss anyway. 

It was around quitting time that a frightened looking secretary knocked on Weiss’s office door and handed over the paperwork for a deal that was supposed to go through first thing Monday morning.

Weiss sighed.

It was going to be a long night.

“I'll stay and help.” Blake made herself comfortable in a chair.

“that's not necessary, Blake.” Weiss started just for Blake to give her a look Weiss had long ago figured out meant to just shut up and let her help.

“At least let me order us dinner.” Weiss said pulling out the take out menu for the Sunny Dragon.

“I guess I could let you do that.” Blake agreed with a grin.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Sure thing, it’ll be 20 minutes is that okay?….thank you!” Tai-Yang hung up the phone and got to cooking.

“Hey, Ruby!” the blonde man called over the sound of sizzling chicken.

What’s up, dad?” Ruby popped her head into the kitchen.

“Your uncles not here and Jaune is already out for deliveries, would you mind running this delivery for me when I finish?” he poured sauce into the wok and gave it a stir, handing her the paper with the order and the address on it.

“Sure thing.” She said about to duck out of the kitchen when he stopped her.

“Ruby, when I say run, I mean your car.” He said, smiling.

Ruby stuck her tongue out.

“One time when I was 15!” The 24 year old grumbled, stalking out of the kitchen, Tai’s laughter following her.

She glanced down at the address and nearly choked on her own spit.

‘Schnee Energy Company, floor 30.’

Did she know!? How could she have found out?!

“No, no, stop it, Ruby.” She mumbled to herself, taking a deep breath. Wesis ordered from here all the time. She knew that. 

“Order going out, Sweetie.” Tai handed her the hot paper sack with Weiss’s food. “Be careful.” He threw over his shoulder before going back in the kitchen. 

She grabbed the paper and the black backpack that contained her disguise and Crescent Rose..

“Alright, this will be fine.” Ruby assured herself as she got in her car, setting the food in the passenger seat. “Just… be cool.” 

The drive to the SE building seemed to take forever, partially nerves on one hand, on the other she was used to visiting the building in her hero persona and running across buildings.

The sun had set about a half hour earlier and real darkness had settled over the city, the neon lights from various bars, clubs and businesses lit up the streets. 

The lobby of the building was deserted at this time of day she noticed as she walked over to the elevator and hit the button.

For someone of her speed the ride up to the 30th floor seemed to take forever. It gave her too much time to think, and the more she thought about seeing Weiss as her regular self the more worried she got.

She was only slightly worried Weiss would recognize her. Deep inside she was more worried Weiss wouldn’t recognize her.

That was really what scared her. That once they knew the Red Wolf they wouldn’t like Ruby. 

Yang could reassure her as many times as she wanted that the Red Wolf and Ruby Rose were exactly the same, but until someone outside her family said so she couldn’t believe it.

The Red Wolf was the city hero (well, one of. Nightshade was a total badass) She fought the Grimm and Cinder and helped Nightshade fight the White Fang and even plain old regular criminals. 

Ruby Rose was a mail carrier who spent her evenings and weekends helping her dad in his chinese restauraunt or hanging out in the bar her sister worked at with friends.. 

What would a multimillionaire CEO as smart and beautiful as Weiss Schnee want with Ruby Rose: Mailman/waitress?

The elevator dinged and Ruby jolted, coming back to herself.

She pushed back her self-depreciating thoughts and stepped out of the elevator and walked up to the large wooden door to Weiss’s office.

She knocked loudly and waited. Only a few seconds later the door was opened by Weiss’s assistant, Blake.

“Ah, good you’re here, come in,” She took the food and stepped aside to let Ruby in the office. 

Weiss was sitting at her desk bent over some papers.

“Weiss, the food’s here.” 

Weiss looked up and Ruby felt a tingle run up her spine as blue eyes locked onto her for more than a second. This was the first time Weiss had ever seen her, her, without the mask and cloak.

“Oh, good.” She pulled her wallet out of her desk drawer and walked over, pulling out two twenty’s and handing them to Ruby.

“Here you are, you can keep the change.” She smiled and Ruby’s stomach flipped as she accepted the money, simultaneously disappointed by the lack of recognition in those pretty blue eyes.  
“Oh, thank you.” She nodded, accepting the money. And watching Weiss walk back to her desk.

From Weiss’s desk where she was rummaging through the paper bag Blake looked up, eyeing the delivery girl.

She’d never been to The Sunny Dragon, but something about the woman seemed so familiar to her, but Blake couldn’t put her finger on it. 

Emptying the bag Blake discovered that there were no utensils.

“Weiss, we have no forks, I think I have some in my desk. I’ll be right back.” 

She walked out of the office with the delivery girl. 

Weiss turned around to look out the floor to ceiling windows. Most of the tall buildings were dark and still.

Something moved out there and Weiss squinted, looking hard out at the darkness. A large black shape...with two glowing red eyes. 

Weiss barely had time to jump around her desk as the large black shape crashed into the windows sending glass flying everywhere. 

The nevermore let out a loud screech.

Weiss was still shielding her eyes from the glass when she was roughly yanked to her feet.

She opened her eyes to Cinder, pressing one of her blades against her neck. 

“Don’t make this any harder than it needs to be, Miss. Schnee.” The Woman said, pressing the blade just hard enough against her skin to draw a thin line of blood. Weiss winced but continued to glare.

“Weiss!” Blake ran back into the ruined office in time to see the nevermore take off with Weiss and Cinder.

“Fuck!” Blake cursed, as she ran and grabbed her bag from her desk, ripping off her bow.

Ruby sighed to herself as she stepped out of the building and walked toward her car. 

Suddenly a loud screech filled the air. 

Her eyes jerked up to see a nevermore flying away from from the SE building. Cinder standing atop the huge beast and next to her was a bright spot of white…

“Weiss!” 

She grabbed her bag in the passenger seat and jolted into a nearby dark alley trying to change as fast as possible.

 

“Since I can’t have the liquid dust, I can have the next best thing. The brilliant mind behind it” Cinder turned her cruel gaze on the captive Weiss, whose hands had been zip tied behind her back.

“Why would you want liquid dust?” Weiss snarled.

“Why wouldn’t I want it?” Cinder countered. “Your competitors would pay through the nose for your company's greatest achievement, not to mention it’s highly volatile and explosive nature makes it equally valuable as a weapons component.” 

A shot rang through the air and a bullet whizzed by Cinders head. They both turned to see Nightshade, swinging across the buildings by the long black ribbon attached to her weapon.

Weiss had never seen the other hero of Vale, most people hadn’t. She didn't let people take pictures of her, she didn’t give interviews and she was almost only seen at night.

“Pesky cat.” Cinder grumbled, attaching the two short swords together into a bow and drew back, an arrow materializing.

Nightshade was about to come up on the upswing and when she did she would be unable to maneuver out of the way of the arrow, at least Weiss assumed so.

Weiss gritted her teeth and shot off her knees, throwing her body into Cinder just as she let the arrow loose, sending it flying far over Nightshade’s head.

The Villainess wobbled, almost losing her balance, Weiss was not so lucky. Without her hands to catch herself she went tumbling off the side of the grimm.

“Ahhhhhh!” Weiss screamed as she plummeted toward the street below.

A rough jerk and she was suddenly swinging up and away from the ground. Turning to look over her shoulder she saw the black clad Nightshade. 

“Are you okay?” She asked, glowing golden eyes turning to her, familiar golden eyes.

More than that, the black ears atop her head. The left ear had a small triangular cut in it and a long past memory of a mean little boy taking a pair of scissors to her beast friends head surfaced . After that she wore a bow around them.

“Blake?” She stared back at the masked face with wide eyes. 

Blake blinked before a smile pulled at her lips. Of course the first person to ever recognize her in her disguise would be her oldest and closest friend. 

“Later” Blake promised. “We have other things to worry about.” They swung between two buildings just as an arrow whizzed by their heads. 

“Shit” Blake cursed as they swung out from between the two buildings to land on a rooftop only to find Cinder waiting for them, arrow drawn back. 

Gunfire cracked the air sending the arrow to the street below.

Cinder turned just in time to catch the moonlight glinting off the Red Wolf’s spinning scythe as she flew through the air, catching the nevermores neck in the crook of her blade and slicing through it like butter. 

The creature began to drop with Cinder still on it.

Blake cut the ziptie, unbinding Weiss’s wrists. 

“Stay here, Weiss.” Blake ordered, shooting her weapon into an adjacent building and swinging from the roof.

“Red!” Blake called, holding out her hand as she swung toward the falling cloaked crusader. 

Reaching up she grabbed Blake's hand as she passed.

“Weiss is fine, get Cinder!” 

“Right!” Red nodded.

As they reached the zenith of their swing Blake flung the masked hero forward, rocketing toward the falling criminal, scythe reared back.

Cinder held up her swords just in time to meet the charging scythe.

Spinning her body Ruby used her blade to hook the swords and jerk them from Cinders hands, following through with her momentum she spun around again, turning the blade in her grip to deliver a full force blow to the other woman’s head with the butt of her scythe.

Cinder hit the ground hard, her unconscious body thumping across the asphalt before rolling to a stop. 

Ruby skidded to a harsh stop, panting behind her mask.

Sirens in the distance were fast approaching. 

Ruby looked up to find Nightshade standing next to Weiss.

“I’ve got her, you take care of that.” She nodded toward the oncoming sirens.

“But…!” Before she could protest Nightshade had wrapped an arm around Weiss’s waist and was swinging away. “I wanted to make sure she was ok…” Ruby pouted.

 

“I leave the room for 5 minutes and you get yourself kidnapped…” Blake shook her head as they flew through the air. 

“Me!?” Weiss nearly screeched. “You’re...you’re…”

“Yup.” Blake said simply with a grin. 

“This is too much.” She sighed. The smile fell from Blake’s lips.

“You’re not hurt are you?” She asked, trying to see any injuries from their position.

“Just a scratch.” Weiss tilted her head back so Blake could see the small cut across her friend's throat, tiny droplets of blood dried on her skin. 

“Let’s get you home and we’ll clean it.” 

It was an hour later when Blake left after answering some questions and bandaging her small cut that Weiss sat in front of her vanity, brushing out her long hair, working out the stress of the evening. 

Movement caught her eye and in the mirror she could see a red shadow in her window. 

“Do you always invite yourself into people's bedroom windows at night?” Weiss asked as the window opened and the dull sound of boots hitting carpet met her ears. 

Ruby had not at all been prepared for what the CEO was wearing. The thigh length, light blue nightie was almost, almost transparent. She had to mentally shake herself, Weiss was talking to her. 

“Sorry, Weiss. I just wanted to check and make sure you were okay.” Red explained as she walked up behind Weiss.

“It’s fine, and I’m fine. Thanks to you and Nightshade that is.” Weiss turned to Vales red draped hero. 

Cloaked shoulders shrugged.

“It’s my job, stop the bad guys, save the innocent.” She mumbled, still a little distracted, she stared hard at the white carpet beneath her boots. 

Weiss hummed walking across the room but stopped when Red spoke again.

“Even if it wasn’t my job, i’d have still have saved you though.” She said quietly.

Weiss turned back around to look at Red, standing there, shoulders bunched up and the silver eyes behind her mask trained on the carpet.

Her bare feet made no sound as she walked back over to stand in front of Red.

“Every good hero deserves an equal reward.” Weiss mumbled. Silver eyes shot up, not noticing she’d got so close.

“You don’t have to…” Ruby started, suddenly all nervous jitters inside. 

“Do you trust me?” Weiss asked suddenly. 

Ruby stood, stunned inside, not by the question itself but the realization that she did. She trusted Weiss more than she’d ever trusted anyone else outside her family. 

Her lips were dry and she nervously ran her tongue over them. 

“Yes” 

Slowly, waiting for Red to stop her, Weiss reached up and slipped her fingers under the edge of the mask, the metal was cold against her fingers, but the hero said nothing as the mask was slowly pushed up just enough to expose her mouth before stopping.

Weiss was more than tempted to rip the mask off and see the whole face behind it, but Red’s trust stayed her hand.

Ruby swallowed, her mouth dry as a desert and her nerves on edge now that she couldn’t see. 

“Weiss...” Was all she managed before the CEO was pressing her lips against hers, blanking the hero’s brain of all other thoughts save for the cold, smooth lips slanted over her own warm, chapped ones.

Her hands anchored themselves on Weiss’s hips, fingers digging into the sheer fabric of her nightgown. 

Her mouth opened in surprise more than anything when she felt Weiss’s tongue slid across her bottom lip. 

A fire shot through Ruby as Weiss deepened the kiss and before she even knew it she had taken control, walking them backwards toward the bed till the back of Weiss’s knees hit the frame and buckled, sending them flopping onto the mattress.

Weiss gripped the fabric of her cloak tightly as Red’s teeth grazed her bottom lip before pulling back and trailing down her neck, leaving a path of fire on her skin. 

“Red” Weiss panted. 

That one word struck Ruby like ice water.

What the hell was she doing? Well, she knew what she was doing, but she couldn’t and shouldn’t be doing it! 

She scrambled off Weiss and back to her feet leaving Weiss looking stunned.

“I can’t. I’m sorry Weiss, I can’t do this.” She stumbled back, away from the bed, slamming the mask back down over her mouth.

Weiss pulled herself to her feet, looking more embarrassed than Ruby could ever remember seeing. 

“I-I’m sorry. I thought…” She started, blue eyes staring at the floor.

“Don’t!” Ruby stopped her. “Don’t apologize, you were right...I...I like you a lot, Weiss.” 

Blue eyes locked with her own, the embarrassment was gone but the confusion in Weiss’s eyes had only magnified.

“Than why…” 

“You don’t even know who I am.” She said quietly. The statement needed no explanation and Weiss frowned. 

“You said you trusted me...why can’t you tell me?.”

“I can’t do that, Weiss! Knowing who I am would put you in so much danger!” Ruby was close to yelling in frustration, her fists clenched. 

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed..” Weiss began following her, one step forward for every step Red took back. “But just this evening you saved me from being kidnapped by Cinder, I already am in danger just by being the head of the SE.” Weiss argued, stopping with only a few inches between them.

Ruby bit her lip, it was true, liquid dust had already made Weiss a target. Her real fear was rising to the surface.

“I’m not anyone special.” She finally said.

“What?” Weiss could only blink in surprise at the statement.

“I’m not anyone special!” She shouted. “This, this is what everyone sees!” She held up the edges of her cloak fisted in her hands. “They want the hero, you want the hero, not…!” She stopped herself and Weiss knew her real name had been on the tip of her tongue.

“You’re amazing and beautiful and...you wouldn’t want the real me...” She said before jumping away and back out the bedroom window she’d entered from. 

Weiss ran to the window, but all the evidence that Red had been there at all were the rose petals already drifting away in the breeze. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saturday morning Blake knocked on Weiss’s front door.

When it opened she gasped. 

“Weiss, you look awful, are you alright?”

It was true, Weiss hadn’t slept after her confrontation with Red. 

With a resigned sigh she let Blake in and told her everything about her meeting with Red the night before. 

“I knew you two had a thing for each other.” Blake said.

“Well it doesn’t matter now does it?” Weiss scowled. The words trying to catch in her throat. Blake frowned.

“If I’d known she was having such problems with coalescing her hero persona with herself I would have tried to help her.” Blake mumbled to herself.

“What should I do?” Weiss asked. 

“Next time I see her, I’ll talk to her.” Blake promised. Weiss sighed.

“You know, we never did get to eat our chinese food. Come on, let's go to your favorite place, my treat.” Blake offered. 

“I’m not sure I’m up to it, Blake.” Weiss mumbled, arms crossed over her chest. 

“Come on, Weiss. Sitting around here moping won’t do you any good.” Blake nudged her.

“Alright, fine.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ruby was, for lack of a better word, depressed. 

Every Time she’d closed her eyes to go to sleep she could only see Weiss’s face.

What’s worse, instead of laying in a pile of sadness in her bed she’d let her dad talk her into coming into the shop to help. It couldn’t have been a worse day. 

Oh how the universe endeavored to prove her wrong when she saw Blake and Weiss walk in through the front doors.

She immediately made an about face into the kitchen. 

Her heart ached at the sight of the CEO.

She looked through the window in the door to see their hostess seating the pair in her section.

“Why?” She groaned to herself. She looked in the dining room and saw Ren waving goodby to his last table. 

She shot out of the kitchen and ran up to him.

“Ren” She called.

“What is it?” He turned to his friend curiously. She’d been acting morose all day.

“Do you see that table in my section?” She discreetly pointed to Blake and Weiss. Ren nodded. “I need you to take that table for me, please.” Ruby begged. 

Turning back to Ruby, Ren could see the desperation in her eyes. 

“Sure” He nodded. 

“Thank you.” She smiled in relief before walking over to one of her other tables, right behind Weiss’s. She swallowed thickly.

“Relax, Ruby, she doesn’t know you…” Ruby frowned. “...she doesn’t know you.” 

No matter what she told herself she still couldn't stop from glancing at Weiss constantly. 

She looked tired and drawn. It was with no small amount of guilt that Ruby realized it was probably because of her. 

She sighed quietly to herself. 

Weiss didn’t notice the looks, but Blake did.

‘Why do I feel like I know her?’ Blake frowned.

“What is it?” Weiss asked after their food was gone.

“That girl.” Blake nodded. “This is clearly her section but she had the guy take us.” Blake frowned.

Weiss looked at the girl in question. It was the same one who had delivered their food last night.

She was tall, around their age and had uneven black hair with red dyed tips. 

Normally she would have thought the woman was rather cute, but Red was the only thing on her mind.

“So?” Weiss finally said, turning back to Blake. 

“So…” Blake started. “You gave her a fifteen lien tip last night, why wouldn’t she want our table? Also, she keeps looking at you.” Blake said quietly.

Weiss turned back around just in time to see the waitress turn around and walk toward the kitchen.

Weiss felt like she’d been struck by lightning. 

The waitress was wearing a black camisole and there on her exposed shoulder was a tattoo of a wolf head in a ring of roses.

“It can’t be...” She mumbled.

“What, what is it?” Blake asked seeing the look of shock on Weiss’s face. 

“Her tattoo.” Weiss said almost breathlessly.

“What about it?” Blake asked, glancing at said tattoo over her shoulder.

“Red has that exact tattoo in that exact spot.” 

“What? How do you know?” Blake questioned.

“The banquet.” Weiss hissed. “Her dress was backless, when we were on the balcony the wind blew her cloak out of the way and I saw it.”

Blake half turned in her seat, eyeing the waitress carefully and catching her gaze for a moment.

“How the hell did I never notice?” Blake said more to herself than Weiss.

“What?”

“I always thought Red wore silver colored contacts beneath her mask, the color is so rare, but that girl; her eyes are silver.” Blake said quietly.

‘It had to be. It had to be her!’

Weiss made to stand up only for Blake to reach across the table and grab her. 

“What are you doing?!” Blake hissed. Weiss was obviously not thinking clearly at the moment if she was going to do what Blake thought she was going to do. 

“She’s…!” Weiss started. Blake held her firm.

“So what, you were going to call her out, here in the middle of a busy restaurant?” 

“I…” Frowning Weiss settled back into her seat. What was wrong with her? Of course that was an asinine idea.

“We know where she is, and we know her face. Now we just have to come up with a plan so you can talk to her, in private.” 

“And how do we do that?” Weiss tapped her fingers on the table impatiently.

“Let me worry about that.” Blake said. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another night watching over Vale, or as her sister had called it, moping about the skyline.

It had only taken Yang five minutes to see how down she was and another five to drag it all out of her. 

Prompting another lecture about her identities, but Ruby was just not in the mood for it.

So now here she was, sitting alone on the rooftop of the tallest building in Vale, far out of everyone's sight, the wind whipping at her cloak. Thunder rumbled across the sky. It was going to rain soon. 

“Hey, being dark and brooding is my thing.” 

Ruby jumped, turning to find Nightshade standing behind her.

“Hey, Night.” She said simply turning back to look at the city. She heard Nightshade sigh.

“You and I need to have a talk.” 

Ruby blinked behind her mask, what did they need to talk about?

“What about?’ Ruby turned to face her.

“Weiss” She said simply. Ruby immediately frowned.

“What about her?” She asked rigidly.

“Don’t give me that shit.” Nightshade frowned. “You don’t think I didn’t see you sneak to her office last thursday and then carry her off into the night?” She asked, resting a hand on her hip.Ruby flushed furiously. She hadn’t been near as careful as she should have been.

“That's none of your business.” She bit out. 

“It is, because I’m the one who has to watch her be head over heels for you every day.” 

“W..what?” Ruby narrowed her eyes at the dark haired heroine. 

“We’ve been doing this thing together for how long now, Red? Five years, right? Let’s be level here.” She said, reaching up and untieing the knot in her mask and letting it slide off her face.

Silver eyes went wide.

“You’re Weiss’s assistant.” She said dumbly. 

“And long time childhood friend.” Blake smiled.

“W-why would you tell me who you are?” Ruby stared back at her long time counterpart in shock.

“I like to consider us friends in a way.” Blake admitted and it did make Ruby glad to know she did. 

“So it's only fair that I tell you who I am; because I know who you are, and so does Weiss.” She finished and Ruby froze. 

“W-what? How could you possibly know?!” 

“At the chinese place Saturday. Weiss recognized you by your tattoo.” Blake supplied.

“My tattoo?” Ruby repeated. “Weiss has never seen my..” She stopped, combing through all her times with Weiss. “The dress…” She realized with dread. That backless dress. “Damn it, Yang.” Ruby cursed. 

Blake didn’t know who Yang was but that was unimportant at the moment.

“So...” She began, closing the gap distance between them and holding out her hand. “I’m Blake Belladonna; Nightshade.” 

Ruby hesitated, she’d never shared her identity with anyone outside her family, but Blake already knew who she was, at least by face and if anything that was worse than by name. 

Slowly she reached up and pulled back the hood of her cloak and slid her mask off.

She looked so nervous, Blake couldn’t help but smile encouragingly at the younger woman. 

‘I’m Ruby.” She said, taking Blake’s still outstretched hand. “Ruby Rose.” 

“Ruby Rose” Blake repeated with a chuckle. “It suits you.” She admitted and Ruby smiled for the first time that evening. 

“Weiss told me about what happened at her place Friday night...” Blake started, the smile fell from Ruby’s lips. “Do you really believe that?”

“It’s true though.” She clenched her fists. “Weiss liked the Red Wolf, not me.” She mumbled.

Blake sighed. 

“Ruby, you are The Red Wolf.” She said. 

“I’ve heard it all before.” Ruby growled in frustration.

“You’ve heard it before because that’s the truth. Ruby, you are not two separate people living in one body.” 

Ruby finally looked up at her, though the skepticism on her face was clear. Hearing this from another hero might have been what she needed, Blake decided. 

“When I first started being Nightshade I felt like you do. That people loved her and next to her, Blake Belladonna wasn’t much.” She admitted. 

“But I realized that Nightshade wasn’t some other person living inside me, she was me, wearing a mask. She couldn’t be better than me, she couldn’t be anything I wasn't already. My strengths and my flaws are all hers.”

Ruby was quite, absorbing everything she was being told. It made sense...and hearing Blake tell her how she’d felt the same made her feel like maybe she was being dumb.

“Look at it this way Ruby.” Blake said, startling her out of her thoughts. “If you were just on the street and someone was in danger would you help them?”

“Of course!” She answered immediately. 

“Even if you didn’t have your mask or cloak?” Blake asked.

“Of course!” She answered again without an ounce of hesitation, to which Blake only smiled and suddenly Ruby felt like such a moron.

“I am the hero.” She grumbled. Blake chuckled.

“You are the hero.” She confirmed. 

“Ughh, Weiss must hate me now!” She moaned. 

“Believe me, Weiss does not hate you. She really wants to talk to you though…” Blake hinted.

“I should talk to her…” Ruby started only for Blake to cut in.

“Ruby, you need to know, you’re not the only one with insecurities...when you grow up with as much money as Weiss, you can't help but wonder if people only like you because you’re rich.” Blake told her.

“I...I’d never thought about that...Weiss doesn’t think I like her because she’s rich does she?!” 

“If she did you wouldn't get the time of day...it’s just..something to be aware of.” Blake said.

Taking a deep breath Ruby nodded. “I should go.” She said putting her mask back on and pulling up the hood of her cloak. Blake nodded, tieing her mask back in place.

When she next looked, Ruby was gone in a swirl of petals.

“Balls in your court now, Weiss.” She mumbled with a smile as the rain began to fall. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The rain poured over the city, hundreds of thousands of droplets streaked down the windows of Weiss’s office, creating a hazy barrier between her and the outside world. 

Weiss tapped her pen against the wood of her desk. She’d been staring at the same proposal for twenty minutes. 

Honestly her productivity for the week had been a joke. She barely made it through her meetings, now left to her own devices she was useless.

There hadn’t been any real trouble since Cinder’s arrest so no one had seen the Red Wolf in a week, unless you counted her accidental sighting at the Sunny Dragon the previous Saturday and even that had turned out to be a fluke, Weiss had gone back twice, despite Blake's warnings but she was nowhere to be seen. 

Normally Weiss prefered to be alone with her thoughts, but that habit had been rather damning lately. 

She’d spent a lot of time thinking about what Red had said. Weiss knew she could be rather intimidating. The rich and powerful schtick scared off as many people as it attracted. 

People looked at Weiss and saw a no nonsense CEO. People looked at Red and saw the fearless hero. Those two people did exist, but there was much more to both of them.

Tossing the pen aside she leaned back in her office chair, closing her eyes. 

Maybe she should just call it quits for the night. It was already half past seven. 

Tap tap

Her eyes shot open and she bolted upright in her chair.

Standing there at her balcony door was Red. Seeing Weiss looking at her she gave a timid little wave.

Weiss hesitated a second before walking over and unlatching the door. Ther heroine was soaking wet, or at least her cloak was.

“Hey… Weiss.” 

Without thinking Weiss grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

“What are you doing out there on a night like this, you’ll catch your death.” The CEO scolded. “You’re soaked.”

“I needed to talk to you.” She said, facing the irritated woman. “It couldn’t wait.” 

“Alright… Weiss said slowly.

“Um..can you,close the blinds?” Red asked, fidgeting. 

Weiss cocked a brow in silent question at the request but said nothing as she walked over to a small panel on the wall and hit a button. The quiet whirring of a motor filled the otherwise silent room as the curtains drew themselves across the window, blocking out the city.

“Alright, why did I need too…” Her tongue went numb in her mouth as she watched Red’s hands untie the cloak from her shoulders, letting it drop in a wet heap on the carpet.

She hesitated a moment before reaching up and pulling off her mask, letting it join the cloak on the floor. 

“So, uh…” She began nervously, turning to face Weiss. “I’m Ruby.” She said at last. “Ruby Rose. I’m a mail carrier during the day and I have a dog named Zwei and a sister named Yang and I like to build things in my spare time if I’m not helping my dad at his restaurant.” She spit out all the general information about herself she could think of. 

A tense moment of silence followed before Weiss spoke.

“What made you change your mind?” Was the only thing she could think to say in response to all the information.

“Nightshade...or, uh, Blake. She can be very convincing when talking sense..,” She smiled nervously before it dropped back into a frown, silver eyes turning to the carpet. 

“I’m sorry, Weiss. For the other night. I...I’ve just always been so afraid that when I finally told someone I cared about who I was, they wouldn’t like me as much as they liked Red Wolf.” She finished, worrying her hands together. She’d never voiced her fears aloud, but now that she did they did seem rather inane. 

A sigh finally broke the thundering silence.

“You are an absolute dolt, you know that?” Weiss asked, exasperated. Silver eyes trailed up to look into Weiss’s annoyed blue ones as she strode across the room to stand nose to nose with Ruby. 

“Ruby...” Weiss said her name and a shiver ran up her spine. 

“You, are what makes the Red Wolf great, not the other way around.” Weiss poked a manicured finger into Ruby’s chest. “Anyone could put on your mask and cloak and say they’re the Red Wolf, but they wouldn’t be.” Weiss pressed on. “Because they wouldn't be you inside there.” 

“I…’ Ruby started only for Weiss to hold up a hand.

“I’m not finished.” she declared haughtily. She’d thought a lot about what she wanted to say and damned if she wasn’t going to say it.

“I liked the Red Wolf because she’s brave, thoughtful and kind. Those are the things I like about you, Ruby.” 

Ruby’s stomach was tying itself into a knot at Weiss’s words. 

“I...thanks, Weiss.” She didn’t know what else to say. “You’re awesome too.” she said.

Weiss huffed, not refuting the claim, but Ruby could see the doubt in her eyes now that she knew to look for it.

“I mean it.” She grabbed both of Weiss’s hands, making her jolt. “You’re kind and generous and the smartest person I know.” Ruby praised, turning Weiss’s pale face pink from her nose to her neck. The little piece of Yang in her suddenly took hold and she grinned.

“You’re a good kisser too.” Her grin only widened as Weiss turned cherry red. 

“S-shut up” She tried to shove her away but Ruby just pulled her closer.

“Weiss, will you go out with me?’ Ruby asked suddenly.

“Wh-what, right now?” The flustered CEO asked.

“Yeah, right now!” She smiled brightly. 

“Alright.” She said, catching Ruby’s infectious smile.

“Come on, I know just where to go.”  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

With the rain it was a slow night at the Sunny Dragon. Tai sat at the hostess’s stand playing on his phone.

The restaurant doors opened up and Tai looked up with a grin.

“Ruby, sweetie.” He gave his youngest a hug, than noticed the other woman standing next to her, one of his favorite regulars.

“Miss Schnee, always a pleasure to see you.” He smiled. 

“You as well Mr. Xiao-Long.” Weiss nodded politely, even more so now that she knew this was Ruby’s father.

“Can we get a table please, Dad.” 

Tai looked between the two of them for a moment before it clicked. 

“Oh...oh!” he smiled brightly and Ruby groaned internally. “Of course. This way ladies.” He led them to a table. “Your usuals I presume?” They nodded and he disappeared into the back. 

It was quiet save for the rain splattering on the windows. The two of them were the only customers in the room.

“So, I think you actually know more about me than I do about you.” Ruby broke the quiet. 

“Well, what do you want to know?” Weiss brushed a few wet strands of hair out of her eyes. 

“Everything” Ruby leaned forward. “Everything you want me to know.” She smiled at the pink creeping up Weiss’s neck again. 

“That might take a while.” 

Feeling bold, Ruby reached across the table and wrapped her fingers gently around Weiss’s slightly smaller ones.

“I’ve got nowhere to be.” She said. 

A slight squeeze back was her answer.

“Alright…” Weiss started.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow was this long. I’ve been working on this for like 3 days. This was the original prompt but i tweaked it for my benefit. Prompt: i’m just a superhero what i do is save the city i never wanted to be invited to walk the red carpet!!!! designer dresses are hella expensive!! i keep this city safe i don’t deserve this
> 
> An early birthday gift for my editor ODST110
> 
> Enjoy ~Rohad


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